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Humans have dreamed about flying for thousands of years. But not until they understood the 4 forces (weight, lift, drag, and thrust) that enable flight could they design an aircraft. It was Wilbur and Orville Wright who, in 1903, made the first machine able to raise itself by its own power into the air. Before that, true flight was accomplished only by birds, insects, and bats. Wings allow these creatures to push on the air to give them lift, enabling them to become airborne.

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